1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a spacer for positioning tails of a plurality of terminals thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
To increase the transmission speed of input/output messages between electrical connectors in electrical apparatus like computer systems, high density electrical connectors, which have a plurality of contacts in a high density arrangement, are proposed. However, the high density arrangement of the contacts results in a very small pitch between adjacent contacts. Therefore, high density electrical connectors are usually equipped with a spacer to orient contacts thereof and to prevent the contacts from coming too close to each other.
Some conventional high density electrical connectors each comprises a plurality of contacts, each of which comprises a horizontal portion extending horizontally to mate with a complementary element of a complementary connector and a vertical portion extending vertically and downwardly through a spacer assembled to the housing. The vertical portions are often too long to be exactly inserted into corresponding apertures of the printed circuit board, which results in the buckling of the contacts.
To solve the buckling problem of the contacts, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,879,171 and 6,183,270 each discloses a two-stage locking means formed on a housing and a pair of latching portions formed on a spacer. By means of gradual cooperation between the two-stage locking means and the latching portions, the contacts are gradually oriented and guided in two stages through holes of the spacer.
Contacts of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,879,171 and 6,183,270 have both horizontal and vertical portions and make the connectors using the same have a relatively large width and occupy relatively more space on a printed circuit board. Sometimes electrical connectors occupying less space are desired, which, however, often have a relatively stringent height limitation. Two-stage locking means formed on the housing increases the height of the connector.
Hence, it is requisite to provide an improved electrical connector to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a spacer without buckling contacts thereof.
Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a spacer for reducing both a width and a height of the electrical connector.
In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways, a plurality of conductive terminals, a metal shell assembled onto the insulative housing and a spacer. The housing has a pair of blocks formed on opposite ends thereof. Each block has an engaging portion projecting sidewardly. Each terminal has a mating portion received in the passageway and a tail portion extending downwardly beyond the housing. The spacer includes a pair of hooks extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof and a plurality of positioning holes for retaining the tail portions of the terminals in position. Each hook has a first retention portion and a second retention portion positioned above the first retention portion. When the spacer is in a first position where the spacer is initially retained to the housing, the first retention portions of the spacer engage with the engaging portions of the housing. When the spacer is in a second position where the spacer is finally retained to the housing, the engaging portions of the housing engage with the second retention portions of the spacer.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.